and some sort of hacked together/stolen/repaired Skynet Hunter-Killer Transport which might be needed to assault the R&D facility, through a trojan horse attempt using stolen terminator data ID # to "get in the front door"?

One idea I had was to place one of the Skynet bases whose destruction is required to win in a location on Earth which could only be reached by an enhanced transport craft (any Tech Com bases placed there would be immediately destroyed by multiple Skynet's retaliation missions).

Another idea I had was a fast transport craft with a lower troop capacity for recon missions, where you'd use it to scout Skynet's existing bases on a region in search of research facility (since they'll be indistinguishable from secondary bases). When the lab was found you'd have the chance of trying to assault the facility using the fast transport, or build a base nearby to use the V-22

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Another thing is, what if you get two V-22's TOTAL in the entire game? As of 2027, they haven't been made for 28 years, and have been beat up for 28 years of hard abuse with virtually no depot level maintenance.

Just getting two V-22s for TECH COM's initial fitting out is a significant achievement.

Also considered this idea. The main issue is that after you lose all the V-22s then it is essentially game over, unless you have already reverse engineered the HK for transport. But it might be too frustrating to lose an entire campaign because the player is not initially aware of this requirement.

It would raise the issue of receiving more personal than you have personal quarters for.IMO, the neatest way to handle it would be to have the game handle a limited pool of volunteers, that you draw from whenever you recruit. Monthly results and specific missions would increase this amount.

About vehicles, the XCOM engine and screens really needs an empty hangar to attach them, so it works better if hangars are naturally more frequent than finding / receiving a ship. I can imagine two different methods :- The hangar buildings would be item storage and/or manufacturing as well, so that the player naturally builds more.- The game mod would use ready-made bases that naturally have many hangars (this simulates how the resistance doesn't build from scratch : they take control of areas, or convince other groups to join them)

Not yet... but not a bad idea actually... I'll put monthly rewards on the todo list... actually, I quite like the council requests system from Long War... maybe I'll do support for something like that in OXCE+

One of the reasons TFTD was so good, even though it was a thin reskin of UFO was because it was so atmospheric -- the atmosphere alone sold the game.

A Terminator mod needs to be atmospheric.

Some thoughts:

Wilderness areas need to have subdued colors. No neon greens or browns or bright yellows; in fitting with the judgement day universe's grimness.

Also, the subdued vegetation colors may be because of Skynet's use of large scale chemical defoliants to remove cover for human survivors in the jungles and forests, plus to starve them out.

Urban landscapes need to be blasted grey ruins, with more available underground (sewers and basements) than above ground.

Skynet bases can be divided between newer and older bases. The newer bases can be built in total darkness with nothing but the glow of computer monitors or indicator lights in the background as Skynet and it's minions need no visual light; but the older bases (such as the core or whatever) actually have visible light, because they're pre-war or very early war, back when Skynet was young.

Since we are talking about terminators, will there be heroic troopers or some terminator rouges to fight alongside humanity?

Well, we know that Terminators can be reprogrammed per T2 Canon:

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John Connor: Yeah? Who sent you?

The Terminator: You did. Thirty-five years from now, you reprogrammed me to be your protector here, in this time.

What you could do is re-purpose the "Alien Containment" into "Cybernetic Containment" and have it consist of an EXTREMELY strong, airlocked faraday cage, to prevent any transmissions from getting into the room (or out), so that Skynet machines can be experimented on while active.

Before you have the Cybernetic Containment, they're too dangerous to keep around active, so they're burned out before entry to your base, lest they have a secret homing beacon to lead Skynet to you...